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What's it like to be a kid in Kenya?
Based on what you've read in our magazine and on our website, send your questions to a real expert: 12-year-old Caroline Wambui of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. We'll forward them to her and post your Q&A's in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, read about Caroline and a typical day in her life below:
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What's it like to grow up in Kenya? We asked Caroline to tell us about a typical day.
Hi! I'm Caroline Wambui, and I'm 12 years old. I live with my mom, brother and two sisters in Nairobi, Kenya. Our neighborhood is called Kangeme. I'm in fifth grade at Akiba Preparatory School.
6 a.m. I wake up and wash up. For breakfast, I have a cup of chai—tea with lots of milk. Sometimes I eat a meat samosa. [Samosas are fried triangular pastries.]
7 a.m. I walk to school, which takes less than five minutes. I like my school very much. After I arrive, I go to my classroom and read while I wait for the bell to ring.
8 a.m. My classmates and I line up on the playground. We sing songs and read the Bible.
8:30 a.m. We have lessons—math, English, history and geography. My favorite subject is English. I speak three languages—Kikuyu, which is the language of my parents; Swahili, which everyone in Kenya learns; and English. Swahili is hard to learn—some things you just cannot understand.
|  Caroline takes a break at her school in Nairobi. |
11 a.m. Now it's time for either arts and crafts or French lessons. French is difficult, but I like drawing houses, animals or people. I like to use lots of colors!
12:45 p.m. The school provides our lunch. Usually it's rice, ugali [cornmeal porridge] and chapati [fried dough] or potato chips.
1:30 p.m. After lunch we study religion. My father is a minister. He's working in America.
3:10 p.m. Some students have extra lessons in computers or other subjects, but I play games with my classmates.
4:30 p.m. I walk home from school, then I wash up, wash my uniform for the next day and sweep the floors. After I'm done, I play with my dolls. I have a Barbie and a teddy bear.
6 p.m. I do my homework. We have a television, but I don't get to watch much. I don't have the time. Homework keeps me busy!
8 p.m. My family sits down for dinner. On most evenings we have ugali, but for special occasions we have nyama choma [roasted meat]. It's very tasty—you'd like it!
9 p.m. Bedtime.
